82 COMMENTS

  1. NIT is very much alive which would represent progress in the program. I’d say about a 10-15% chance to make the big dance.

    I still think if the Beavs can get to 9-9, they would make it into the tourney. Below that would require a lot of help. Would need help from other major conferences and for small conference regular season winners to win their auto bids.

    Three more wins and NIT is guaranteed.

    • The NIT is fools gold. The conventional wisdom is that it helps a young team by putting them in some one and done games and gives them more developmental time. The reality is that you are in that tourney because your team is flawed. Gophers won the NIT two years ago and then had a disappointing year last season losing a bunch of close games. What the NIT revealed was how valuable Austin Hollins (Lionel’s kid for all you old Blazer fans) was. He was the one missing piece from the NIT run and the team was totally different. The cautionary tale is that he was basically the team Swiss Army knife like GP2. Better than the CBI, but the NIT is participation trophy tournament.

      • NIT would suck every year, but this year it would be an okay accomplishment and highlight how the team is improved, give them some post-season experience, etc. For a young team like this with no accomplishments I think it would be a good one.

        Not trying to be all Riley and say low level tourney or bowl is a good thing, but considering this program’s recent history it should be viewed as a stepping stone. Not sure about the Gophers situation, but I think that’s ours…sadly

        • I can agree with this as progress, however, the departure of GPII will set OSU back next year, and I don’t see the current young guns filling his production to the point of making the tourney next year. Perhaps the year after that once Tinkle gets a team filled with his guys/recruits.

      • So there’s no incentive or reward? I understand it’s the NIT (Not In Tournament) but for a team in the last 25 years that’s gotten in once and a handful of crappy CBI invites, I’d take it. Plus you get the opportunity to play at home if your a higher seed and make some extra scratch at the gate. The last 4 teams get to play at MSG in New York so there’s your reward. I understand. Haven’t been in 26 years. But for a young team, I’d say the NIT they have a better chance of succeeding, especially if they play at home. Big dance would be one and done

  2. Do you have a fearless prediction? It seems they should be a lock for the NIT this year with the high RPI and all. I’m hesitant to vote until they play tomorrow though. If things have clicked and they can finally win a game on the road tomorrow night then I vote yes for the Tourney. I think they have a good story: Storied program that has been shit for so long, GPII senior year, freshman sons of coaching dads, etc…

    • Yes, I stand by my comment they won’t make the NCAA.

      NIT is looking very good right now, but that can change fast…I think they have to win 1 or 2 road games and take care of business at home to guarantee that.

      The difference between the NIT and NCAA might be one win. I think they need 10 to get on the NCAA bubble. 9 puts them in the NIT imo.

      Of course the Pac 12 Tourney can change things, but I’m talking just the remaining scheduled games.

      For the poll, I voted “Yes, NIT”

      • Eight with a Tourney win would put us on the bubble with the conference RPI. Eight with two Tourney wins would be a lot better. It would all have to do with where we land in seeding for the Pac Tourney itself. Eight wins and a top seven seed look a lot better than eight with a ten seed. Nine with a Tourney win would be a lock. Seven wins puts us in the NIT for sure… unless we win the Tourney itself.

        But they have to win a road game first. Tomorrow may prove to be which of those teams we choose to be.

        • So that means they just have to win 1 of 5 road games, to get to 8 wins, and you think they are in?

          Not sure they’d put such a bad road team in the tourney. Especially a young team. It’s a recipe for blowout since they’d be on the road. Their two road wins are Rice and UCSB, which aren’t impressive. That Utah/CO road series was the key to the season. They needed one of those games.

          If I were selecting, I’d want to see the Beavs win 3 of the last 5 road games to prove an uptrend and some merit/argument on why I should send them packing for an NCAA tourney road game.

          Eyeball test alone says NIT team. No rebounding, can’t box out, no inside scoring threat…

          • It’ll also depend on how many at large bid are out there. At large bids are reduced when small conference reg season champs don’t win their auto bid but are good enough to get an at large.

          • It all depends on our seeding for the Pac Tourney if this is our hypothetical. Eight wins would mean a likely three or even four way tie for seventh. Where we fall in the tie-break gets some looks. This being the stretch that the committee will be looking at, losing road games will be understandable. Winning any will be good but not quite good enough. Winning two will be good enough. But both those hypotheticals rely on winning at least one Tourney game to prove we belong in the top eight in the conference. From there, the RPI will be weighted.

            That’s why getting to eight wins would likely need us to get to the semis. A .500 season from here on out, against this competition and with only two home games, looks good to the committee.

          • “No rebounding, can’t box out”

            I brought up Jim Hanchett a few weeks ago in another thread. Dude was a rebounding machine and only 6’4″. GP2 is either 6′-3 or 4 (I forget which). Just goes to show that boxing out and rebounding is all about effort.

  3. Put me in the “yes, NIT” bucket. At this point in the season, you are what you are. In this case a not-very-good-road-team in a tough conference.

  4. I voted “yes, NIT”. But if Beavs beat Stanford tomorrow, getting to 6-6 in conference, NCAA still seems possible. This year, I think 9-9 in conference (plus at least one win in the conference tournament) would do it. So, if OSU beats Stanford, beavs would then need to win the two games at home against the Washington schools, plus at least one of the four remaining road games (Cal, Oregon, USC, UCLA). Not easy, but doable. But again only if OSU beats Stanford tomorrow night. Go ‘Beavs.

  5. If they do make the NCAA I’d obviously be stoked to break that drought, but I’d fear a major blowout. Deer in headlights type road team in their first Tourney game is not good.

    I see Tinkle and Thompson slowly and steadily improving all year. I still feel they are wildcards…if they can tee off and give 35-40 combined points in the upcoming road games Beavs could start winning those games. They’d need the other players to box out. The lack of boxing out really has me perplexed and concerned…makes zero sense. It requires no talent, and to a degree doesn’t even require size. Just get your lazy ass into good position.

    • Who cares if we get blown out in game 1? It’s been 26 years since we been in it. I just want to put OSU in my bracket. NIT would be a good stepping stone since we haven’t even made that since 05.

      You’re right though, with the rebounding and inside scoring threat, we just don’t have a good team in comparison to other tourney teams. USC is sort of in the same boat we are but they have better shooting and more road wins.

      • I was in Gill that night and am still annoyed with that NIT game against Fullerton in 2005. Fullerton had I think only one player taller than 6′-6″ and what does Jay John have his team do? Chucking up 3’s all game long and getting horribly out rebounded by an inferior team instead of punishing them inside. Great game plan there genius. Coming back from almost 20 down gassed them and OSU lost at the buzzer in OT. Another reason if I ever see Jay John again I will kick him right square in his man pussy for setting OSU back another 10 years. He’s a fucker, trashed Corvallis in the coaching circles after he got shit canned and can die in a fire for all I care.

  6. Way OT – Baseball
    Probably should know the answer, but I don’t. Why is “Sweet Caroline” played at Beavs baseball games?……………My wife said, “those guys on that blog” will know.

  7. I don’t see NCAA tourney if recent history of road woes is any indication. Beavs may win one on the road, two at home going 3 and 4 the rest of the way — 8-10 conference record. They get absolutely blasted on the road.
    Don’t get expectations up….NIT here we come!!

    • I’d say we need a win against Stanford on the road this week, one more road win against the La schools or Oregon and then sweep the Washington schools at least. A tournament win or two would help that cause.

  8. Realistically need a sweep this week for any type of meaningful post season hopes. If Beavs split or get swept the jury will still be out, but with less margin for error. Beating Stanford won’t really help since their record and rpi stinks, but losing to them would severely damage our overall case for the post season. Unless, of course, they sweep all remaining games and win or make semifinals of p12 tournament.

      • I agree. If Beavs lose to at Stanford it would put a big dent in our chances. Might need to run the rest of the regular season table or could maybe absorb only 1 more “good” loss at that point.

        Stanford is an odd bunch this year. Virtually all their players were highly regarded athletic kids, but haven’t been consistent or very good at all as a team.

  9. With the strength of the Pac-12 this season imo this is what it would take to get to the NCAA tournament (I don’t think it will happen but it would be the easiest path)………….

    Beat Stanford and UCLA on the road, sweep the Washington schools at home (road losses at UO, USC and Cal). Win the opening round game at the Pac-12 tournament. That would put the Beavs at 19-12 with a good enough RPI to get in. Those 3 losses and second round loss at the conference tournament would be to teams with higher RPI’s and would not hurt as much. Also they’d be 7-4 in their final 11 games which would be a good finish. If they can’t finish 4-3 in these last 7 conference games before the tournament, good luck with that. They absolutely CANNOT lose to Stanford, UCLA, UW and especially WSU due to their RPI

    • I honestly think it’s possible that taking into consideration the depth of the PAC-12 and depending on how the tournaments of the mid-major and below conferences turn out, the Beavs could sneak into the NCAA tournament (probably as a play-in team) at 8-10 in conference play (a sweep of the Washington schools at home and one road win).

      The major issue with this scenario is that they’d only have one road win in conference, which I don’t know how favorably/harshly the tournament committee would look at that.

      Or maybe I’m just a dreamer with my orange-colored glasses.

  10. Everyone remember that win over Tulsa at the Moda Center back in December? Looking better all the time. Tulsa up to 41st in RPI after handing SMU their first home loss. Keep rooting for Kansas (4), Valpo (45), Tulsa (41), Iona (146 but 2nd place in the MAAC) and UCSB (99). The higher those teams finish the better the Beavs RPI and SOS will wind up

  11. Updated NIT bracketology (I know, lame)

    Because the Beavs are so forgettable…………..

    Note: An astute reader pointed out that Oregon St. isn’t in this bracket. They should be. Most likely on the 1 or 2 seed line. The last team in was Albany. So the Great Danes would be pushed out if that was the case.

    http://www.nycbuckets.com/2016/02/nit-bracketology-feb-10-2016/

    Currently a 2 seed in this projection

    http://www.dratings.com/predictor/bracketology/

    • It does look like clip art, but I’m just happy they’re using the mammoth.

      OSU never gets things right or reacts fast to opportunity, so it’s good to see.

    • What is the deal with Oregon State and hashtags? play on words using “Dam” is also annoying, i.e. Oregon State Dam Straight. Please don’t tell me that #OregonStateDamStraight is already on a tee shirt.

      They need to cease the use of hashtags unless they are on twitter, and stop making up puns using “Dam”.

      • The hashtags are fucking terrible. Not sure if it’s a generational thing and I’m just being a grumpy old bastard. Do younger folks think it’s stupid too?

      • I think they started using hashtags with the #Beaverjuice/Gameday thing from a fee years ago and decided they need to put a hashtag on everyshirt they produce since. Just out of touch.

        The new one I’m tired of is all of the “Dab on them” poses and characters we use in our recruiting materials. It’s been played out for months. Now is not the time to adopt it.

        • I think hastags are idiotic but most of my generation loves hashtags, and has no problem with them on t-shirts and whatnot.

          If it works and reaches people in my generation, I’m okay with it. Just don’t expect me to buy it personally.

          Also, looking through the Beaver store, there’s plenty of material without hashtags if that’s your kind of thing. Plus, the whole “Dam” pun is no worse than what I found on the Duck store (which has puns like “Fast as Duck”).

        • It’s those dam kids and their rock&roll music.

          The “dab” thing is over played….to us. But look how many recruits used it for their tweeter avitars. They think it’s cool….I don’t care one way or the other.
          I’m 37….I’m not cool anymore….if I ever was. I remember when getting loaded and grinding on a drunk co-ed was all I wanted to do. Now I just want to sleep or check my 401k progress.
          And #hashtagsaredumboutsidetheinternet

    • That “mammoth” is fucking terrible. Looks like someone took a template of a bison (short legs, huge shoulders, squatty rear) and drew a trunk on and added boar tusks.

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